Handsome Devil’s Ed Randolph shares a mouthwatering recipe for decadent macaroni and cheese from his smoky, stellar cookbook.
Reprinted with permission from Smoked by Ed Randolph, Page Street Publishing Co. 2019.
When I started our company, there were five recipes that I wanted to create to identify our brand: three sauces, a base rub and a killer macaroni and cheese. We are really proud of our mac ’n’ cheese. We feel the cheese mixture bonds to the cavatappi pasta better than to traditional elbow macaroni.
Devil’s Smoked Mac ’n’ Cheese
Cook time: 40 minutes
Yield: 12 servings
Ingredients:
6 tbsp (90 g) unsalted butter
6 tbsp (54 g) all-purpose flour
4 cups (960 ml) milk
1¼ cups (151 g) sour cream
1½ tsp (8 g) salt
3¾ cups (416 g) shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
1¾ cups (212 g) shredded aged cheddar cheese, divided
1 lb (450 g) cooked cavatappi pasta, at room temperature
1 cup (121 g) dried breadcrumbs
Method:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour, whisking until it is incorporated. Add the milk, bring the mixture to a simmer and whisk until thick, 15 minutes. Add the sour cream and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Remove it from the heat and stir in 1¼ cups (139 g) of the mozzarella cheese and 1¼ cups (151 g) of the aged cheddar cheese.
Prepare the smoker to cook indirectly at 350°F (177°C). Feel free to experiment with wood if you would like a smoke profile. We prefer lump charcoal.
Combine the pasta and cheese sauce. Stir in the remaining 2½ cups (277 g) of mozzarella cheese and the remaining ½ cup (61 g) of aged cheddar cheese. Top the pasta with the breadcrumbs and cook for 40 minutes.
